A kinematic and kinetic analysis of the hip and knee joints in patients with posterior tibialis tendon dysfunction; comparison with healthy age-matched controls

The tibialis posterior (TP) muscle is the deepest muscle in the posterior compartment of the calf. Its tendon passes the ankle joint medially, behind the medial malleolus. Contraction of the TP muscle that occurs when moving from mid-stance to terminal stance during the gait cycle allows the gastrocnemius –soleus complex to shift medial of the subtalar axis. When the gastrocnemius-soleus complex contracts, it becomes a powerful heel inverter [1–3]. Heel inversion creates obliquity of the transverse tarsal (talonavicular, calcaneocuboid) joint, thereby creating a rigid midfoot during the terminal stance, which allows efficient transfer of stored energy in the lower extremity for toe-off and the swing phase [4,5].

Source: Gait and Posture - September 5, 2018 Category: Orthopaedics Authors: Hiroshi Maeda, Kazuya Ikoma, Shogo Toyama, Daigo Taniguchi, Masamitsu Kido, Suzuyo Ohashi, Shuichi Kubo, Norikazu Hishikawa, Koshiro Sawada, Yasuo Mikami, Toshikazu Kubo Source Type: research